Her Majesty's Secret
by Marvelous.Mirana.of.Marmoreal
Summary: A secret that is more deadly than the Jabberwock cause chaos in Underland just before the Champion returns. Underland is a sneaky place, I tell you. Rated T for now, rating may go up later.
1. Introduction

**So, I was in the mood for a bit of Malice tonight- both definitions of it. I wonder how long I can drag this one out ;)**

**Disclaimer- I don't own Alice in Wonderland, 2010- never have, never will.**

**Warning- Will eventually contain the following: lesbian themes, sexual content (maybe), intense language, malicious thoughts, death, and a smoking caterpillar. There. You have been warned.**

"_**Even angels have their wicked schemes and you take that to new extremes. But you'll always be hero even though you've lost your mind…"**_

_Underland was, at one time, an odd place - and it still is. It was a place one full of secrets, wonder, and confusion. You could see one thing and it could really be another. You could go through a door expecting to get to the Tulgey Wood and end up in the Red Desert. You could see one of the land's inhabitants and see beauty beyond belief, even if under it all lay something truly disgusting." She gasped, and I grinned, continuing on. "Nothing in Underland was as it seemed, except those creatures who embraced their true selves- those such as Iracebeth of Crims, Illosovic Stayne, Thackary Earwicket, and Tarrant Hightopp. Their true selves were either Evil or Mad, and yet they chose their true selves over a disguise._

_Of course, there are those who cover up their true selves- those such as Mirana of Marmoreal, Alice Kingsleigh, Mallymkin, and Nivens McTwisp. Their true selves are Evil, Mad, Lovely, and Confident, but they didn't want to indulge on those secrets. For if they did, Underland would be in turmoil such as it was during the reign of the Red Queen. The Natural Order of things would be off. The world as they knew it would no longer exist. You see, Underland decided long ago who would be their true selves and who wouldn't. No one would ever go against what Underland wanted- it was just Wrong._

_But this isn't the tale mainly about Iracebeth of Crims, Illosovic Stayne, Mallymkin, or Nivens McTwisp. No, this one is mainly about Tarrant Hightopp, Mirana of Marmoreal, and Alice Kingsleigh. Iracebeth, Illosovic, Mallymkin, and Nivens are important to the story, but not extremely. This tale is a tale of broken hearts, Evil, Madness, Muchness, and Death. It is one not one creature in Underland had ever heard._

_"_It's a tale that was thought to be lost hundreds of years ago- until now," I finished, looking at my daughter's awe-struck face. She wasn't any older than 14, but she wanted to know. And so she would. She had wanted to know for years, but I always said I'd tell her when she was older. And she was, now. She wanted to know about Alice. Not just any Alice, but _the _Alice. She'd heard every tale except his one- the one I always thought she couldn't handle. It was one I could barely handle myself.

"Come on! Why'd you stop?"

"Alright, alright!" And I began.

"Once upon a time, there was a girl named Alice. You know- the one that had slain the fearsome Jabberwock, the one that tamed the frumious Bandersnatch and defied the terrible Red Queen. Well, one day after the Frabjous Day, she returned…"


	2. A Reunion Under Terrible Circumstances

**Review please!**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Alice in Wonderland 2010…still.**

**Warning- Will eventually contain the following: lesbian themes, sexual content (maybe), intense language, malicious thoughts, and a smoking caterpillar. You, my friend, have just been warned. **

**This plot**** is moving very quickly for now- sorry :)**

**Go listen to the song When I'm Gone by 3 Doors Down. It is a great inspiration for this :)**

**PS- Alice isn't from Underland, so she doesn't capitalize those 'random' words…**

"_**There's another world inside of me that you may never see; there're secrets in this life that I can't hide…"**_

_**In Underland…(Mirana)**_

As she paced around her room, she clutched her hands together over her stomach, keeping in her screams. She was trying to enjoy the privilege of walking, considering she hadn't been able to stand in days. She wanted to keep this going for as long as she could. It was boring lying in bed, whether it made her feel better or not. She was tired of being confined to her room- it was driving her mad. Well, madder than usual. Being bedridden reminded her of her mother being sick, who reminded her of her sister being so mean, which made her remember _It_.

Nobody knew what It was, but It was killing her- slowly. She had a pretty good Idea of what It was, but she refused to remember. No one had told her, but she knew it was true. She knew something was inside of her, destroying her from the inside out. She could feel the burning in her organs, the blood seeping out of her bloodstream. It scared her, in all honesty. It wasn't something she would wish upon her worst enemies; not that she had very many of them, only two. Still, she wouldn't have given the pain to Stayne or Iracebeth, no matter how often they had betrayed her.

Now, though, she tried to keep those Thoughts out of her mind. She knew full well that she only had a few more Minutes to herself. Upon request, she had been granted 30 minutes alone each day. She craved those 30 minutes; she was constantly supervised by not only Doctors, but Guards and just about every Lady-in-Waiting that existed. It stressed her so very much and she couldn't stand it! So as she savored the last few Seconds, she headed back to her bed. She wasn't supposed to be Up in the first place. Just as she pulled the covers over her now shaking frame, she heard the door click open. It was like clockwork- exactly 30 minutes past Brillig, she was no longer Alone. Everyday.

"Your Majesty," said one of the doctors, "we have some…news for you." She smiled sadly, already knowing what they were going to say. She saw her friends out in the hallway, certainly in tears. Suddenly, she was hit by a wave of Pain and Desire. Desire for blood. She squeezed her eyes closed and pushed her head against the pillow, clutching the sheets with a terrible Force. The images that invaded her head were too…terrifying. She clenched her teeth and tried to keep the tears from leaving her eyes.

"_Miranaaaaa," _said the sweet voice. It was so convincing… The worst part was that she knew who it was and it Scared her. How did that voice get there?

"_You know you want to, so do it. Get up and strangle him for even talking__ to you. You're a Queen for heaven's sake. Tell him to shut the hell up! Kill him! Order his head off!"_

"No," she muttered, confusing the Doctor standing before her.

"_There- right over there.__ There's a glass vase over on the desk. Grab it, Mirana…smash it against his thick skull…dip your fingers in his blood and be happy, Mirana…You know you want it, love. Don't you?"_

"No!" she near shrieked, trying to keep herself in the bed. Her stomach clenched as It tried to get her to move. She couldn't hear the Doctor yelling for the Guards to come restrain her. She couldn't hear her friends coming in, trying to get her to lie still. She couldn't hear them make the life changing mistake- they thought she was repeatedly screaming 'no' because the doctor had told her she was to Die.

None of them knew about her Secret.

She wasn't too sure she knew what it was all about either.

_**In Aboveland**__**, a few days later…(Alice)**_

As she paced around her room, clasping her hands behind her back, she wondered if it was still there- it being the rabbit hole. She had done some thinking and, ever since she had gotten back from China, she was ready to go back to Wonderland. So she made a plan. She'd wait until it was late at night- when everyone would certainly be asleep- and she'd sneak over to the Ascot's garden to find the rabbit's hole. She soon found out, though, it was easier said than done- just like everything else in her life.

At around 2 or 3 in the morning, Alice had all her clothes packed up in the smallest bag she could find. She told herself to take only the necessary items, but realized it was harder than she though it'd be. She wanted to bring photographs of her family because- even in black in white- they were the only good memories she had of them. So, she packed one family portrait and then one of her father only. She smiled, seeing that she still had plenty of room left for food. When would she be guaranteed her next meal? Eat a mushroom or a piece of cake in Wonderland and you're suddenly ten feet tall!

So- with her suitcase full, her heart heavy, and a few notes left behind- she set out to find the Ascot's mansion and garden in the middle of the night. Which was much easier said than done. The Ascot's had a huge maze in the garden which, of course, led to the rabbit hole. It seemed as if the walls of the maze were forever changing, never the same. She could leave one area of the maze and she'd end up circling around the whole garden! But, one of those times, she actually saw that large, half cut down, hollow tree. She sighed in relief as she walked closer and kneeled in front of the gaping hole that she remembered as the "Rabbit's Hole."

This time, she was prepared for the trip down. She decided it would be better if she just stepped into the opening, instead of scaring herself by tripping or slipping. She covered her mouth with her free hand as she began falling down the seemingly endless, vertical tunnel. Once she gained control of herself, she let go of her mouth and began to actually enjoy the trip. She felt like she was flying! When she passed by that wretched bookshelf, she grabbed a book off the shelf and read the interesting title- _Underland's Queens- Multiple Royal Biographies. _She giggled and, considering the reason for her trip, she began to read about the White Queen, Mirana of Marmoreal- the woman that Alice had found so…curious and generally lovely.

_Mirana- the White Queen of Marmoreal: 1776—_

And that's about as far as Alice got in the book- firstly, because the Queen's age was quite amazing and, secondly, because she had landed on a huge mattress. She looked down and saw another mattress, thankfully, because she fell from the ceiling! She sat up and looked around, grabbing her suitcase off the floor. She walked over to the round table in the middle of the room and found an envelope addressed to her, of all people! She tore it open and began reading this. But, before she started, she was reminded of the book. She found it lying on that mattress and stuffed it into her suitcase. She layed back on the mattress and read the letter, shocked at its contents.

_Dear__est Alice,_

_Underland is in turmoil. Please, get to Marmoreal as soon as you can- it is a matter of life or death as of this very second. Be careful which door you take, as you could end up in the middle of the Red Desert or the Tulgey Wood- neither is especially safe for the time being, but then again, they have never been safe. So- you see that white door ahead of you? The one marked with an 'M'? - that should take you to Marmoreal._

_Hurry, love, Time is running._

_Chessur_

Alice sighed and put the letter in one of the pockets on her dress. Would she need to slay yet another Jabberwock? She found it odd that she could think like that and not be fazed in the least. So she heaved herself up, absolutely exhausted, and walked toward the large, decorated, white door in front of her. It was beautiful yet disgusting, all at the same-

"_**How is that possible?" my daughter asked, interrupting.**_

"_**Listen, and you'll see, love…" And with that, I began again.**_

It was beautiful yet disgusting, all at the same time. It was beautiful because of the white-grey roses that framed the door and the pretty embellishment on the top- the 'M' that Chess had spoken of. It was disgusting because of the red specks covering the roses. It reminded Alice of the red Queen's palace, and she shivered, though she certainly wasn't cold. She reached forward and gripped the door knob, twisted it, and pulled open the door. She was shocked by the sight in front of her.

Sitting in the yellow, wilting grass was a little dormouse and a very nervous white rabbit. Alice smiled at them, quite oblivious to why they were there. She knelt down in front of them and tried to get a look at the dormouse, but she was making it difficult.

"M-Mallymkin, p-please, look at the girl! D-Do you want her t-to help or not? Sh-She's the only one who c-can, remember," stuttered McTwisp. Alice shot him a look of thankfulness as Mally looked at her.

"Where 'ave ye been?" asked the mouse.

"What on Earth do you mean? I've been in London, like I have all my life. Or most of it anyway. And what a rude greeting," she added in a mutter. She decided to be civil and greeted the mouse, "It's nice to see you Mallymkin. Now, why did Chessur want me here so quickly?" Alice fell back on her bottom as the tiny woman drew her pin sword.

"Chess? Why would Chess want ye here?" she screamed. Alice smirked, but in return, got a good poke in the ankle.

"Mall-y-um-kin!" shouted McTwisp, pronouncing each syllable. "Y-you know v-very well wh-why she's h-here!" Mally sighed and sheathed her sword, dropping her head.

"I'm sorry, Alice. It's just…wit' the Queen an' everythin'…we've all been on our toes." At the mentioning of the Queen, Alice felt her heart rate increase. Where was that lovely Queen of theirs? Of hers?

"Where is she anyways?" she asked, standing up. She began walking towards the large grey castle in front of her. _Funny, _she thought, _I thought the castle was white, not grey…_

"Alice, I think it best if we go see the Hatter first," said McTwisp. Alice nodded, but continued walking to the large building. She entered fairly easily, getting a salute or two from a few guards on her way in. Mally began to lead the way as they neared the Hatter's workshop. She was nervous about seeing the Hatter again, though she had no reason to be. He was so very kind. So, when Mally knocked on the door and the Hatter threw open the door, Alice was actually relieved to see his face.

"Alice! It's good to see you're back! So very good, delightful even! Lovely, wonderful, great, relieving, soothing, everything like that under the sun! We have much to discuss, so please, come in, and come in! You're late you know- naughty," he added in a whisper. He took her suitcase from her and stepped into the hall, grabbing her hand and leading her down the hallway.

They ended up in front of an empty guest's bedroom. The Hatter threw the bag onto the bed and pulled Alice out of that room. She couldn't help but think, _I do believe I'm tired of being dragged around._ But of course, she didn't say that out loud. Instead, she followed him to a secluded part of the castle. There were a few guards at the door, but they stepped out of the way when they saw the group of friends coming towards them. The Hatter nearly broke the door down in his rush, but then gently pushed Alice out of the room. He had a look of realization on his face as he pulled her into another room just next door.

"Aye fergot 'bout this, Ahlice. 'Er Majesty ain't exah-ctly in great health. Aye may as well tell ye now- Mirana…she's dyin' Ahlice," he whispered in his accent. Alice simply shook her head in disbelief. She could die now, not when Alice had just returned.

"That is preposterous." She shook her head in disgust at the madman. Who would lie about such a thing? She turned on her heel and walked back to Her Majesty's chambers, shoving open the doors and walking in before shutting and locking them behind her. She took a quick glance around the room and saw that no one was in there.

The room was large and white, as to be expected, but it looked oddly like the other guest rooms in the castle. It had had a large white bed, a vanity, a bathroom, a writing desk with a chair, a few lamps here and there, and a sitting area. But it lacked something…something that wasn't an actual thing. It seemed to lack energy and happiness. The room made Alice feel sad and alone. But she still couldn't get over the fact it looked like a guest's room!

_Either the Queen was treating herself as a guest in her own home or she was treating the rest of us like loyalty! _Alice thought as she continued looking around. Only on the third round did she notice someone was indeed there, lying on the bed. As she approached the thin figure, she realized it was a woman. But only when she was bending over the woman did she realize it was the White Queen herself. She looked…dead.

The only thing that hinted to Alice that she wasn't deceased was the labored breaths that slipped in and out of the pale lips. Her skin was so white; Alice could swear it was painted. Her lips were a pale blue, as if she was extremely cold. Her eyelids were dark black and her eyelashes limp. Her hair looked stringy and unkempt. In general, she looked like she was decomposing. As Alice reached forward to try and feel the Queen's pulse, the dark eyes snapped open.

"A-Alice?" she whimpered.

"Shhh," she shushed her. She looked so out of energy; so tired. "Your Majesty, are you alright?" Alice's breathing was ragged as she tried not to cry out at her friend's obviously declining health.

"Tell me, Alice- do I look alright to you?"

**_Mirana_**

"No, not really," whispered the blonde standing over her. Alice sat on the bed, making Mirana wince in pain. She squeezed her hands into fists under the covers as It began yelling at her again. But, when Alice took one of the fists in her pale hand, It stopped and Mirana felt safe. She involuntarily curled onto her side and wrapped herself around Alice, enjoying her temporary pain-free state. But as she realized how uncomfortable Alice must be with another woman hanging on her, she backed up and blushed.

_"If you don't start giving into your own guilty pleasures, I'll have to either force you or, if you prefer, I'll kill you."_

"Well that's cruel," she whispered back, grimacing as It rebelled.

"What's cruel?"

"Nothing, nothing at all," she said softly, feeling Its attempts at forcing her to move back to Alice.

"So, do mind explaining to me why you're like this?" she asked, gesturing to Mirana's body. Mirana could hear that the girl's voice was thick with unshed tears. As she got ready to explain with an explanation that even she didn't understand, It ripped through her whole body. She tensed up, shutting her eyes and ripped her hand from Alice's, digging her nails into the bed.

_"I told you to give in, Mirana. Now you'll have to pay. I'll be nice and let you choose. Would you rather hurt Alice or die?"_

"Kill me," she muttered through her clenched teeth. She could barely hear Alice saying 'What?' in the background as It spoke to her again.

_"Say please, Mirana!"_

She suddenly felt tempted to rip Alice's head off, so she complied.

"Kill me, _now. Please_!" she screamed, her arm moving in Alice's direction. She felt a wave of heat run through her, then a whole lot of cold.

And before she knew it, she was dead.


	3. Revelations?

**Disclaimer- I do not own Alice in Wonderland 2010…still.**

**Warning- Will eventually contain the following: lesbian themes, sexual content (maybe), intense language, malicious thoughts, and a smoking caterpillar. I suggest you heed this warning.**

**ALLLLLLLLL of you need to chill. Like….seriously xD I've never received such hectic reviews! I felt bad, making that chapter move all quickly and leaving it off at that, but I had to! It was too good a chance to give up.**

**DID ANYONE EVER WATCH ****THE PRINCESS BRIDE****? Tell me: what happened to Wesley? Did he die? No, he was _ dead ;) fill in the blank, my friends.**

**Chill.**

**Seriously.**

**It'll all be okay.**

_**In Underland…**__**(Mirana POV)**_

_And before she knew it, she was dead._

Or…was I? I certainly wasn't alive, now that I thought about it. I could see Alice, sobbing next to my limp, pale, body…but…that wasn't me. I was me…or was I? I walked around to the other side of the bed and looked at the dead person's- my?- face. It was quite a resemblance, I must admit: same hair, eyelids, lips, chin, skin color, and nose…same scar, hidden just under the hair line.

"Bloody hell! That _is_ me!"

I clapped my hand over my mouth- a Queen was not supposed to use such profanities. But…it seemed as if Alice hadn't heard me. I opened my mouth and called out her name, but she didn't even flinch.

I walked over to the door and tried to grasp the brass door knob, but my hand went right through it. I decided to experiment- I walked through the door. It was like there was no door there at all. I laughed to myself in triumph- I could walk through things!

I re-entered my bedroom and went over to Alice. I decided, since she couldn't hear me, that she couldn't see or feel me either. So, I stood next to her and ran my fingers over her cheek, wishing I could wipe the tears away. She shivered as my fingers graved her skin. I saw her eyes flick over to the window, which was obviously shut, before she stood and walked out of the bedroom. She was still crying, holding her hands over her chest.

"I feel terrible. I mean…I only chose death because I couldn't break my vow to hurt Alice!" I said to myself. And then it all clicked. The question…It had planned to kill me no matter what I chose. If I chose to hurt Alice, It would've killed me. It would hurt Alice emotionally either way, no matter what.

"You bloody git! You guddler's scut, you aresehole, you sly idiot, you…you…ugh!" I cried out in frustration. I pounded my fist at a nearby wall, but of course, it went right through.

"_Oh Mirana…" _It called from behind me. I spun around and I saw It.

Only…I could believe what I was seeing.

_**In Underland…(Alice POV)**_

I dropped my head on the bed next to Mirana's body and sobbed. She was dead, I could see it now. She was completely gone, just like Father. As I cried into the white bed sheets, I felt an icy bit of air on my cheek. I glanced up at the window, wiping at the spot, and clenched my teeth. Something was wrong…seriously wrong. I didn't bother to stop crying as I walked quickly out of the room to find Tarrant.

Something, deep inside me, told me that Mirana wasn't quite dead…not yet, at least.

* * *

As Hatter examined Mirana's body, I could tell he was deep in thought. He had been for quite some time now and I was getting antsy. My tears had subsided when he had gotten a look of hope on his face. So far, his hopes had yet to be dashed and so mine were still present as well.

"Alice, I need you to tell everybody- except Mallymkin and Chessur- that Mirana is in fact dead." I let a desperate cry escape my lips as I stared at him. I went outside and broke the news, making sure that Mally and Chess were no where to be found. As I re-entered the bedroom, I began crying again.

"Alice…Alice, listen to me! She's not dead!" he whispered. I looked up at him and glared.

"Then why would you tell everyone she-"

"Shhh! I needed you to be believable. You're a terrible actress…naughty," he giggled. "We are going on…an adventure of sorts. We need to go to the Rabbit Hole and find the book about-"

"About the Queens of Underland," I said, finishing his sentence. But as I spoke, his face took on a look of disbelief.

"How do you know?" he asked. I went around the room, looking for my suitcase. Once I found it, I opened it slowly and pulled the book out. "Well, that makes this hell of a lot easier," he muttered to himself as he came to stand by me. His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to read the book.

"Alice, this is all gibberish!" he shouted. I flinched, but shook my head vigorously.

"No, it's not!" I closed the book and looked at the cover. I could see, in small print at the bottom, it said:

_Written in the language of the Champions_

"Ohhh," I sighed. "It says that it's written in the language of the Champions. And, assuming I'm the Champion as of now, I'm the only one who can read it…" He nodded, confirming my suspicions. I smirked- good thing I'm a fast reader.

"Now, we need a plan…and a good one too," he said, thinking for a few moments. "I've got it! You will spend tonight reading that book, in my Workroom, preferably…just so I can find you. Any parts about Mirana that are in there- I need you to memorize them as much as you can. I'll find Mally and Chess and speak with them about further action. We'll hide Mirana's body so that no one can get to her while we're on this mission. Enjoy your night Alice- you've got a long one ahead of you," he added in a whisper, kissing the top of my head, and sprinting off to begin his half of the mission.

I moved back over to Mirana's body and stroked the cold cheek. "What have you gotten us into, my friend? What will this lead to?"

I left the room silently, trying to appear as sad as I could. Once I was in the privacy of the Hatter's Workroom, I found the most comfortable position possible and began reading. Once again, I was caught off guard by the Queen's age…I'd have to ask the Hatter his age, as well. Maybe all of them lived for a long time…

I stopped my mental questions and re-read what she had already, well, read.

_Mirana- The__ White Queen of Marmoreal: 1776-_

_Mirana was born in the Castle of Crims to the King and Queen of Spades on December 21__st__, 1776…_

**_Read these author's notes, please!_**

**Mwahaha! Short chapter :P Sorry…but the next chapter is everything Alice reads so…that should be interesting (**smirks quietly to herself**)**

**So…what do you guys think so far? What's Mirana's secret? What- or who- did she see? What's Alice gonna read? How will Mally and Chess take the news?**

**What do you notice about Mirana's birthday?**

My dictionary of British insults ;):

**http:/**** septicscompanion .com ? cat=insults**

**(without the spaces, of course)**


	4. The Book

**Disclaimer- I do not own Alice in Wonderland 2010…still.**

**Warning- Will eventually contain the following: lesbian themes, sexual content (maybe), intense language, malicious thoughts, and a smoking caterpillar. Enjoy ;)**

**So, I'll give you a hint- though one of you readers got it. Mirana's birthday is indeed on the Winter Solstice. I sort of chose that day because it's the shortest day of the year which means a much longer night. And the night isn't **_**bright…**_**it's **_**dark**__**. **HINT, HINT** **_

**Haha, but I refuse to tell you the secret…**

_**In Underland…(Alice POV)**_

I picked up the book and began reading. Instantly, I was completely drawn into the book. It was amazing the things a Queen can keep secret…or not even know.

_**The Book**_

Mirana- The White Queen of Marmoreal: 1776-

Early Years:

Mirana was born in the Castle of Crims to the King and Queen of Spades on December 21st, 1776. Mirana was an odd child- sickly, yes, but also very curious and aware. Her parents were soon told why that was so, and yet they could not believe it. Little baby Mirana of Crims was, basically, a mixture of all Queens of the past. It wasn't any coincidence that Mirana was born on the shortest, darkest day of the year. The Oraculem had proclaimed that the Princess born on that day would posses the Black Queen.

Background:

When a Princess is born, she contains a part of every Queens before her. Mirana's mother contained 99 hundredths of the Black Queen. Mirana, unfortunately, was the last piece of the puzzle. Brewing inside her was the Black Queen- a mixture of all the past Queens' faults, obsessions, and weaknesses.

Once the entire Black Queen was put together, it would take over its host and kill it, although, the Black Queen would die with the host. Both would battle in the space between the Afterlife and Underland until one of them was summoned back by the Champion.

Teenage Years:

Mirana often spent her time in the library at Crims, researching everything about what lie within her. When she wasn't researching that, she was learning her potions. She, currently, knows about every potion to ever grace Underland's atmosphere. Mirana was very interested about the Black Queen inside of her. She never told anyone about it, not even her sister Iracebeth. Only her and her parents ever knew about the Black Queen. Mirana called the Black Queen 'It' in order to deny that It was there.

As she grew older, she refused to marry any prince that visited her or wrote her letters. She never told anyone about that, either. Rumors spread that the Princess was, indeed, either homosexual or bisexual, but it was never confirmed and no one had the courage to ask her.

When she was crowned Queen at the age of 18 and has ruled ever since. Her sister stole the crown from her on the Horevendush Day, killing of the Hightopp Clan, their parents, and Mirana's court.

_**Alice POV**_

I stopped reading there- I knew what happened after that. I decided to read about her ancestors. I'd probably gain more information about Mirana's "It." Was that what killed her? Well, obviously. That was what the book said.

I snuggled down deeper into the pile of cloth I was sitting in and continued reading. I skipped parts, though. I only wanted to know what was necessary. And, as if this wasn't confusing enough, I decided to read backwards through Time- starting with Mirana's mother.

**The Book**

Danielle- The Queen of Spades, Castle of Crims: 1700-1808

Older Years:

Queen Danielle was known for her healing skills and was often sought out for medical advice. She did have a weakness, though, and that had to do with her patient's blood. She would often bottle it and then experiment with it when it was deep into the night. She never told why she did it, but she was obsessed with it. Whenever she saw blood, she tended to put it into a vial that she always kept handy. She couldn't help it- it was her obsession.

* * *

Eleanor- The Queen of Hearts, Castle of Engal: 1680-1740

Older Years:

Queen Eleanor was one of the few Queens to die at a young age. She lived to be only 60, which was not the norm for Queens. In fact, her mother outlived her. Queens often lived to a maximum of 108 years (with Queen Mirana as an exception. See page 270 for more on Queen Mirana). But in those 60 years, she made quite an impact on Underland with her reign. She wanted to kill many- much to her parents' disappointment. She had the urge to order someone's head off each and every day. She was only bound by the vows she took as a young girl.

* * *

Claudia- The Queen of Diamonds, Castle of Dalanova: 1650-1749

Older Years:

Queen Claudia was a very eccentric Queen. She was extremely excited about everything and was happy to meet anybody and everybody. Of course, this was a huge weakness. Her castle was taken over just before she died because she welcomed everyone into it. She regained power in 1748, but she died the next year. Still, she had been a little too willing to forgive the man who raided her castle and over threw her. She was considered one of the weakest Queens that Underland had ever seen.

* * *

Caitlyn- The Queen of Clubs, Castle of Caspyrus- 1628-1697

Older Years:

Queen Caitlyn of Clubs lived in the Castle of Crims. She was otherwise known as the Queen of C, since her full title included so many. This Queen was particularly shy. She didn't let any emotions threw to anyone, especially those closest to her. And, because of that, Underland regressed under her power. She was unwilling to meet with anybody. She kept every emotion she ever felt inside her. She was known to wear a façade, and was constantly found alone.

_**Alice POV**_

I stopped there and sighed. There was so much to read and so little Time! Perhaps…perhaps Chess knew everything that was in this book… He was an old cat; he'd been around a long time. For now, I did some more reading on Mirana's mother. She interested me…collecting blood…I'd never thought about it before, but Mirana looked a little bit fascinated by the Jabberwocky's blood when she had given it to me. Well, she'd also possessed a look of disgust, but I assumed that was her actual personality and not that of the past Queens.

**The Book**

Teenage Years:

Princess Danielle was always found working in the kitchen. Be it cooking, experimenting, or potion-making, she was there. She enjoyed working with the blood of any creature she could find- Jabberwocky, JubJub Bird, Bandersnatch, Gnome, Pixie, and even the giant Waspee Bug. She would freeze or boil the blood, just to see what would happen to it. She never got the blood by hurting the animals. Actually, she had someone else get it for her or kill the creature before she took any of its blood. She refused to hurt any creature on her own.

She was crowned the Queen of Spades at the age of 25. At the time, she had one daughter named Iracebeth and another on the way. She was married to Joseph 8 years before her coronation. She continued with her experimentations all through her life. She was especially excited when her youngest daughter found an interest in it as well.

_**Alice POV**_

Before I realized what I was doing, I fell asleep. I layed the book on my stomach and shut my eyes, getting some much needed rest. Tomorrow I'd tell Tarrant what I had found. It was quite interesting how Mirana was a mix of all these women. Now that the book pointed it out, I could remember seeing each of these 'flaws' in the Queen at least once before.

That night, I dreamt of Mirana.


	5. Dead

**Disclaimer- I do not own Alice in Wonderland 2010…still.**

**Warning- Will eventually contain the following: lesbian themes, sexual content (maybe), intense language, malicious thoughts, and a smoking caterpillar. Have fun, kiddies ;)**

_**I feel the absolute need to let you all know this- Mirana's dirty little secret is actually yet to be revealed- all that information is just a lot of background for me to build on ;)**_

**Haha, love you all for putting up with this terribly suspenseful story :) I'm jumping back and forth between POVs this time…sorry :P**

_**In Underland… (Mirana POV)**_

"Who are you?" I asked, trying to deny the answer I'd come up with.

"I think you should know, of all people, Mirana." The human-like figure in front of me studied the back of her hand for a moment, and then looked at me. "I've only been living inside of you for the past- well, your whole life, really. Remember me? Certainly you couldn't have forgotten. Especially not after what happened." The figure snickered and smiled in a way that made a chill run down my back. It had been hours since I had first seen the thing- I had tried to deny the fact that It was there for all the time that had passed. It had been very patient, waiting for me to speak first. We had stared at each other for a long time- I in shock, It in amusement.

"You…you need to leave," I stammered. "Please?" I added meekly. It let out a laugh now, one that I recognized…but I couldn't put my finger on it until something clicked in my brain- it was Mommy's laugh; it was Racy's laugh; and, worst of all, it was my laugh.

_**In Underland… (Alice POV)**_

I awoke from my slumber when someone began shaking my shoulder. It was a frantic, jerky movement that snapped me out of my grogginess quickly. I jumped up and tried to find the perpetrator, and saw that it was Hatter. Yesterday's events filled my mind and tears welled in my eyes, a wave of pain nearly drowning me. He engulfed me in a hug and smoothed my hair, but I could tell he was in a hurry. I sniffed back the remaining tears and looked at him in all seriousness.

"What did you learn last night, Alice?" he asked. I could tell he was excited- his lisp was there.

"Well, that thing inside Mirana was this person called the Black Queen. Get it? Black Queen; White Queen…anyway, that Queen is a mix of all the past ones and has been growing inside each Queen. Mirana was the last piece to the puzzle," I whispered. I tucked the book back into my bag and started to walk out of the room. He followed me, antsy as ever.

"You have something to tell me- what is it? What do we do now?" I asked, desperate. Nothing seemed to makes sense anymore. I'd been here for, literally, 24 hours. In those 24 hours, I found out that Mirana died, that we had a mission, and that there was almost nothing that we could do.

Almost nothing.

"Well, there are three people in Underland who know, or knew, how to cure someone who is half-dead."

"Wait, wait. She's _what_ now?"

"Alice, love, be patient. She's half-dead- and I know you heard me this time. There are/were three people who know/knew how to cure these people. There was Mirana's mother who, as you know, died some time ago. There was also Mirana, but she is of no help right now. And then there's…Illiana. I have to warn you, she's not as wonderful as you'll think at first. She was married to Illosovic Stayne before the Horevendush Day. She picked up some of his qualities, sadly. She was a lovely lady before he came along. I almost courted her once, you know."

Throughout this whole time, I was completely lost. I had barely listened to what he was saying, as I was still trying to figure out what happened to Mirana. Why was this happening now? Why not when she was younger? I felt a chill run through my whole body and settle on my face.

And then it clicked. I figured it out.

"Iracebeth- the Red Queen…she's got to be dead."

_**In Underland… (Mirana POV)**_

"There was also Mirana, but she is of no help right now." After that, I didn't hear anything that Tarrant said. I _could_ be of help right now! He just needed to go visit Illiana! I could talk to her, but no one else. I could talk to them through her.

I had managed to get away from It for now, but I wasn't sure how long it'd be before she came back. I hated feeling so worthless right now…I was alone, caught between the deceased and the living; my parents and Iracebeth.

Speaking of Iracebeth…

I wouldn't be like this if she was alive…was she dead? Is that why this is happening now? I moved as fast as I could and touched Alice's arm, but she didn't move. She was standing shock-still as Tarrant continued his explanation. I touched her in various places: her arm, neck, hair, torso, and, finally, her face. The second I caressed her face, she seemed to snap out of her stillness.

"Iracebeth- the Red Queen…she's got to be dead." I smiled to myself, proud about finding a way to communicate. Alice wouldn't quite realize it, but I could always put my thoughts in her head. If only she could figure _that _out. I could, of course, put that thought in her head, but I'd best leave it be. Heaven knows what thoughts I could put there by accident. I wouldn't want them to know about that terrible secret of mine.

I had been about 14 years old at the time, very young, very naïve, very stupid.

"_Mirana, come on! You're so slow!"_

I had a short temper. I was influenced by my grandmother who tended to act on a whim.

"_Close your mouth! You're just too fast."_

I made excuses for everything. Nothing was ever my fault, or so I had thought.

_We ran for at least a half an hour until we finally reached that point far into the woods. The darkness made my eyes hurt, but I loved it. When she took out a light, I saw that we were surrounded by the most beautiful flowers in all of Underland._

I wasn't aware of the consequences.

_I reached out around me and grabbed a flower, ripping it off of the stem and picking at each and every petal. There had to have been at least 30 petals in all. She didn't stop me as I grabbed another and then another, ripping the petals off each on. By the time an hour had passed, I'd broken nearly every flower. Yet…she was just sitting there, staring in shock._

I had no idea that those next minutes would be influenced by such simple actions.

* * *

**Hehe, sorry to cut it off, but the suspense is so freaking amazing!**** I'll update as soon as I possibly can…which could be by Thursday, maybe Friday.**

**Review, please :)**


End file.
